Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics Leupold 6x42

Does anyone here have a Leupold 6x42 rifle scope? Looking for feedback on the scope , hows the clarity ? Low light ? Anything. Thanks.

Going on a 200 yard and under 308 bolt gun.

They work real well, whacked a WT deer at Dusk with a former FX-3 German #4 at 275 yds on my former K1-A 6.5x55.......punched a 1.1" group at 200 yds........long ago used a 700 Classic in 6.5x55 with a M8 6x42 with 'Heavy Post Duplex' at just 40-50 yds in very thick brush at dark thirty.......another M8 Duplex on a Ruger 1B 270, whacked one at Moonlit Dawn......at 15 yds.........I could go on........but they have worked for me on many rifles, conditions, and ranges. Great eye relief, light, plenty bright......not much to complain about.

These days I run 36 and a 33mm..........they work too

I have one on a 308 BAR. Works well. My son has taken several whitetails out to about 180 yds with it.

350 yards last fall. I have 2 with the LRD reticle and 1 with the Heavy Duplex. My longest shot with is 385 with a Leupold 6x36 with LRD and the glass in the 6x42 is just a touch better.

As for low light, clarity, etc it’s very good. Not as good as some higher end scopes, meaning I can’t see bullet holes really well at even 100 yards at the range. But for hunting I wouldn’t pass on a 400-500 yard shot depending on conditions because of the scope (I might pass for a list of other reasons).

If you are going to use it to dial I would get a different scope. I haven’t had any problems with mine staying set but a bud killed one, and they don’t dial exceptionally. For set and forget on a 308 I think you would be good to go.

Humm I have a few that work great in low light like sun down and dark...lol

I'm a fan as long as it's not a trash-azz wide duplex. Good glass. Good exit pupil. Good eyebox. Used to have a lot...now down to a couple.

Beautiful rifle.

I've got two. One is a M8 with a standard duplex,on a Savage model 10 in 223. It is my fun gun, just grab and go shooting. The other is a FX-3 with a German #1 on a Remington 700 Classic in 8x57. This is my favorite hunting rifle and scope. I can't say anything bad about the Leupold 6X42 scopes.

I’ve got a couple of the 6x42’s and a bunch of the x36’s. The 36’s haven’t given me a lick of trouble. From the Mashburn to the 338’s. I have one 6x42 mounted on my 375 Improved with the LRD. So far it’s fine but I rattled one of the x42’s apart on my old Mashburn so I never got a warm and fuzzy. Optically they are as nice as I need for a hunting scope.

I have an M8 version with a #4 reticle. It keeps on going and is a great scope for an open-plains rifle.

I think I have three.

You will have no issues.

Probably one of the greatest hunting scopes ever made.

Yeah they were"the Legend" around here forever. I had an M8 and a Meopta 6x42 as well as other 6x's and loved them for being so bright.and easy to get behind. What I find now is that more recent variables are just so much brighter than they used to be I don't feel a fixed gives me the advantage I used to enjoy from them. I Much prefer heading to the field at 2 or 3x and wider FOV these days. I most often have the time to crank up if needed but much easier to get on target for things up closer- or stay with a moving deer or loping coyote at lower powers. - for me

I have 2 Leupold 6x42s both with Heavy Duplex: Reticle: a FXIII and a FX3. Both are clear and very good for low light. These have been for me the easiest to get behind and have an immediate full sight picture. For hunting, I highly recommend this scope. I will say that the HD reticle is my favorite for hunting and, as far as I know, Leupold does not offer this reticle anymore in the 6x42 (though it is an expensive add-on). If I were buying another 6x42, I'd buy a Meopta with #4 reticle. In fact this is exactly what I did and I do not regret the change. Very clear and that #4 reticle is great for all around hunting - especially during low-light. The Meopta is a little heavier and bigger but it hasn't been a negative for me in actual use (I hunt from treestands). Good luck with your choice.

Agree.

How about the details on that one.

DF

Thanks!

It’s a Kevin Weaver rifle (terrific gunsmith!)
7 Mashburn
Borden Timberline action
Krieger #2 barrel
Dakota bottom metal
Trigger Tech trigger
Wood blank from Roger Vardy
All metal and wood work done by Weaver

I don’t know the make of everything ie the grip metal, inlet swivel studs, cross bolts. Weaver had those.

All metal nitride coated. The action is SS and the other metal parts are CM. Nice that it all matches and looks good. Shoots well too!

Full thread here
https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/topics/14276255/kevin-weaver-7-mashburn

Huge fan of M8’s

I think I have 5 right now...if possible go with a FXIII instead of a FX3, as the earlier ones have been more reliable, for me at least.

No issues early or late in the day. As long as there's legal light they've been fine for me. From dry deserts to wet Afognak Island and from 20 to 500 yards, they've served me well. For 200 yards and less you're golden.

I never did see the appeal of the m8s over the newer models. The friction adjustments where not very friendly. I have three left. My favorite has always been a fine duplex with target turrets.

I had a FX-III 6x42 with the heavy duplex. I liked the scope but went to a 6x36 for my M70 30-06. The 6x36 is a better fit on a long action for me. The 6x42 is plenty bright and clear.

Thumbs up

I have a couple 6x42’s and like the scopes a lot. Mine have the LRD in them and work well for my hunting. I’ve shaken one loose on a 7 Mag but the 6x36’s have not given up on me as of yet.

I do have the latest 6x42 on a 375 Improved but it’ll probably get swapped over to a 6x36. Both of them work well with the LRD with a little work with a ballistics reticle to shoot deer and elk.

Is that walnut? That gun is niiiice!

Thanks! Yes, wood blank from Roger Vardy. He’s in Australia so I guess Australian walnut? My gunsmith called it French walnut but I’m no expert on the varieties.

This is one of my favorite scopes. It is only slightly better than the 6x36 but the 42mm has never let me down. It is a toss up for me between the 2.5x8x and the 6x but I will usually pick the 6x 9 times out of ten. There is a bit more brightness to the 42 over the 36 and I like the standard duplex more than the wide. If I purchase another, which I will, it will be with the CDS, Boone and Crockett, or German #4 depending on what is available.

On a light rifle this is a match made in heaven. I enjoy my alpha optic scopes but for a using scope this one will not leave you lacking much if anything. I might chose something different for night hunting hogs but then I would go with a thermal scope.

Joel, love that stock, who did it?

Dr. Death;
Good evening to you sir, I hope the last weekend of January treated you acceptably and this finds you well.

While I'm cognizant it's a sample of one, I've used a 6x42 on my .308 Norma since 2009.

This was the first animal taken with it on that particular rifle - I believe it's the 4th scope, 3rd stock and 2nd barrel by the way.


Over the next couple years, I ended up hunting that same area and while it wasn't needed for whitetail, the rifle somehow turned out to be one of those "lucky" ones that ended up with me getting something when I was carrying it.

This was a couple years later.


While I check it for zero every year, I've more or less quit shooting it other than sighting in and hunting with it. I'm not sure that I've moved anything on it since that buck was killed in 2012 - I don't believe so actually.

Anyway, if you like the "set and forget" sort of setup in a hunting rig, then I've had absolutely no issues with mine in that regard. I don't recall it moving any better or worse than the rest of the Leupolds in the safe - which is to say certainly not easily always, but once there it seems to be happy.

In particular, I find it useful in low light conditions.

Hopefully that was useful information for you or someone out there. Good luck whichever way you decide and all the best to you this year.

Dwayne

I’ll grab the 223AI with a M8 6x42 on it 9 times outta 10. Light weight and does well in low light. If it’s too late with an M8 you’d be guessin anyways. Just a point of reference, I have a Zeiss Victory 3-12x56 propped up right next to it...

Thanks! All metal and stock work by Kevin Weaver. Great work, highly recommend. What I appreciate most about the stock is the shape. Some cast off, canted butt section comfortable to shoulder.

Most of my hunting rifles wear 6x42s and I've about as many M8s as I have the newer models. I do not prefer the wide duplex in the newer models, but otherwise I've found them alike in the field. I have other scopes that are better at certain tasks, but for hunting I just keep using 6x42 Leupolds.